Purpose of church forgotten

On March 23, The Spokesman-Review printed a letter in which Ann Warwick seems to think that churches should either confine their preaching to within their doors, or pay taxes as a punishment for being heard without. With increasing numbers of such letters, it is obvious that people are starting to forget the purpose of the church.

The church was never intended to be a business or an organization. Many of the original believers sold what they had and used the proceeds to provide basic needs among their following. Their message of salvation through the crucifixion went against the grain of the religious establishment. Thus, they were often hunted down.

The church is made up of humans. As such, there are a lot of mistakes made. There is also evidence of abuse. We have all heard about the allegations of abuse by priests.

The faith of a genuine Christian will spill over into their secular life. As such, it is actually a sin not to speak out against ungodly practices. Undoubtedly, some money transfer will accompany these convictions. Subsidizing lobbyists is dubious; promoting just causes is not. I would invite Warwick, and others, to study the Bible for themselves.

Douglas Benn

Spokane